


Water Lily and the Moon

by gungidino



Series: Nameless Love Song of Hanazakari [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Courtesan AU, Desperate flirting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, NijiZaki, Ridiculous Ideas, Romance, akafuri - Freeform, aokaga - Freeform, courtesan - Freeform, desperate seducing tactics, escort AU, geisha au, meiji period, murakiyo - Freeform, okiya, vigilante Haizaki, vigilante Kagami, vigilante Kiyoshi, vigilante geisha house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 13:43:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9387746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gungidino/pseuds/gungidino
Summary: On a rainy day, I rememberYou and me, we were togetherAt midnight, I rememberShamisen, and the customerUnder the moon, I rememberThe water lily of fire





	

  
How long were you willing to wait for that one person ?

To what extent of pain, hurt and heartbroken could you bare while waiting for that one person ?

Did ten years mean anything ? Was it even something ?

People came and left. Hopes were mercilessly crushed and crumbled to ashes.

He was found by an oiran in a dark corner of an alley, right besides the back door of the Riki Kisetsu Okiya. The love of parents and reasons to exist were robbed from him the moment he was stuck in a box with a blanket and left alone. He was an infant and abandoned. Until an oiran picked him up and took care of a total strange kid that had no ties with the oiran herself.

The oiran was once the most popular flower in her hangyoku period of the Yoshiwara district in Tokyo, as she finally was specially recognized as a jimae oiran at the age of 18, but she still wanted to live in the Riki Okiya with her geisha and hangyoku sisters. She had been falsely accused of murder and chased out of the okiya, but then returned in highest glory for being the one who caught the true criminal, and brought the bastard to the Magistrate Head Office. She was only a newly debuted courtesan then. For that incidence, her geimei was widely known in Tokyo: Rikifuji - the strong wisteria of the Riki Kisetsu Okiya in Yoshiwara district.

Rikifuji had adopted an orphan and the news spread like fire. The wisteria beauty selected an orphan to raise and train as her next courtesan ?! A male to mention ?!! Turned out he was only raised to be Rikifuji's personal servant and errand boy for the sisters at Riki Kisetsu. She named the kid Taiga for her first strong impression the boy gave her was his soulful eyes that reminded her of a tiger, also adding her last name for the little one like he was actually her son: Kagami Taiga. After that, the Kisetsu girls and women spoiled Taiga to the point Rikifuji had to blurt out that Taiga was a heir in a big clan with many mothers and siblings and cousins. Since everyone had been treated unfairly regarding of their social status, it was rather reasonable for having another existence that could lighten up their unfortunate days was considered a precious salvation during their rainy blue of life. They loved the adopted descendant of oiran Rikifuji of the Kagami like a brother, like a son.

Taiga remembered all the memories he spent with his family in the okiya and all the life knowledge he learned from Rikifuji, so did the terrifying moments with the Riki Kisetsu's dangerous queen because she always intended to make him suffer and tried to find methods to control Rikifuji better. But the chores never bothered Taiga much because Rikifuji had trained him hard and well to survive.

The owner of Kisetsu was not someone who can be seen through at a first glance. She was all sweet and gentle on the skin, but rough and cruel under the flesh. The whole Okiya trembled under her foot steps, the whole Yoshiwara district feared her glance, for the woman was supported by an assassin yakuza danna from her youth days. She helped her danna took over his Kumichou of the clan, and he lifted her to the Okaasan seat of the Kisetsu Okiya and became the Oneesama of his clan. Beautiful and toxic princess of the Shinoya Clan, Rikihime.

Rikihime - the owner, controlled all living things in her Okiya, so Rikifuji was not an exception, but at least she managed to be only half controlled for her life. The strongest evidence was that Rikihime used to have an intention of selling Rikifuji for another Kumichou of an enemy clan as a guarantee for a mutual peace agreement, just to gain an unexpected speech of Rikifuji in front of the clans during a night party about the disadvantages of buying her out of the Okiya for both clans; then somehow, she miraculously related to clan wars, and the potential of putting both clans on bad terms with each other if they accepted the deal involving an oiran despite Rikihime's effort to lighten the general atmosphere. After that, Rikifuji collected a bit of trust from both Kumichou clans. There had never been another opinion about selling Rikifuji away again since, and sometimes the Kumichou of the opposing side of the Shinoya would visit her and seek some comfortable company whenever the Shinoya Kumichou decided to visit Rikihime. The wisteria oiran had cleverly built up her own protection shield against Rikihime in her crucial times, helping the Riki Kisetsu Okiya's servants and courtesans breathe easier. But when Taiga was in the picture, it was not that easy to disregard the owner's request to make him a future courtesan, even following Rikifuji's path to run the oiran title.

Rikifuji disagreed with the idea but could not get her and Taiga out of the hopelessness, because as Rikifuji had less visitors, she was more dependant on the Okiya while Rikihime still remained on the Oneesama seat of the Shinoya and keeping her power. Following Rikihime's order, more young male teenagers with exotic beauty were brought into Riki Kisetsu in order to work and being trained to entertain the guests with the females. It did not help when Taiga's outlook was getting more and more noticeably attractive and uniquely seductive that when some customers often steered their gaze towards the face and body of an errand boy in the house, Rikihime immediately knew how to boost the profits without Rikifuji and grabbed the latter's Achilles heel for captive.

Consequently, in bitterness, under Rikifuji's care and teaching, Taiga finally made his first introduction at the age of 14. Fortunately, Rikifuji had succeeded in making the okiya owner to accept that Taiga could never serve his body service under any circumstances or titles he was going to be given in the future. The only difference was that while being an exception just like how Rikifuji used to be as having a direct debut as a courtesan, Taiga was even more a miracle just like his wisteria teacher for they were the only two cases that after one year since debut, Taiga and Rikifuji had risen up to the Oiran title in a blink of an eye with outrageous popularity while being only a Jikata Geisha. He could not do the dance like others, but no individuals in Yoshiwara district could deny the temptation of the songs and the sounds from the shamisen performances Taiga had learned from Rikifuji. Even though he had the same geimei as the woman whom he saw as his mother, people tended to call him Fujini - the second wisteria, as in the descendant student of Rikifuji.

Brightly pure like an angel, adorably feisty like a tiger cub, and gently warm as the sun, Taiga was adored and liked by everyone; from his customers, his kanzashi makers, his geisha sisters at the okiya, his dressers otokushi to the shikomi servants, the miranai training to be a hangyuko, the hangyuko and those tea assisstants hikae at the tea house Riki Kisetsu Ochaya. People in Yoshiwara acknowledged Taiga - Fujini - Rikifuji's student, was the kindest flower they had ever encountered in Yoshiwara district. His existence was a warm salvation and consolation to the endless miserability of a life in which courtesans were stuck.

Although his days of living as a musician oiran was luckily endurable, but one rainy night in December, during a Kotohajime preparations for the New Year, Rikihime had forced him to entertain a customer not with his shamisen, but with his body. It was against the rule where oiran could have their right to accept or deny their service to certain customers, but the order from the Shinoya clan's Oneesama was not something could be neglected and blew to the wind.

"The customer has paid a geisha's one-year-working-worth of kaban just to be the first to enjoy you. I have accepted the money so be on your way right this instance. This is an order from the Okaasan of Riki Kisetsu", Rikihime had said.

Many had begged Rikihime to take back the request on Taiga's behalf to save him from the dreadful order, but all got severely punished. Rikifuji risked everything to protect her student with other courtesans, she reached for her dagger - a gift from a childhood friend who was a magistrate, and threatened Rikihime. But Rikihime's servants were brutal and quick on the way to grasp Taiga and roughly drag him away from Rikifuji, under the horrifying expression of people witnessing in the Riki Kisetsu. Lying there on the wooden floor was the corpse of Rikifuji bathed in her own nonstopped bleeding blood.

Taiga later was harshly thrown in a dimly lit room that was filled with sake scent, and in there, he unwillingly lost his virginity in utmost pain of humiliation and desperation. The terrible truth he never wanted to unveil to anybody at present that on the damn fated day, Rikihime had not told him that there were three customers in that goddamn room. That one-year amount of kaban if being split into three, was only equal as the price for one night spending with an oiran. Taiga had been deceived. He was mercilessly raped, played, tortured by three Kumichou from the allegiant clans that supported the Shinoya all night until dawn. It had repeated for half of that year.

People in the Riki Kisetsu, whether they heard the sounds in the room or not, had heard Taiga's cry and agony every night since then. Riki Kisetsu cried for Best Yoshiwara Jikata Oiran's fate, for the first time the wisteria shed its tears, for the falling wisteria and for the withering wisteria.

Rikifuji's body was burned, people in the Okiya were under tight supervision and forbidden to leak any information, or the Shinoya would never let them see the daylight of tomorrow again. The tormenting nights for Taiga continued without fail.

Taiga was broken and scarred. In his soul, on his body. Everywhere.

Gradually, he became numb to the surrounding and stopped caring. Hope and tears were then something too costly to created or even thought of.

And he missed the first Rikifuji.

  
<>

  
"...uji...a...!"

"...aa-san !"

"...fu...i...an !"

"Hifuji kaa...an !"

"KAGAMI-SAN !!!"

Ruby eyes widely opened in fright. Sweats on his face were pouring like the rain outside. He harshly panted and trembled from the dream he had during his nap. The red figure straightened his position from the spider lily embroidered takamakura, raised his fingers to massage the bridge of his nose to chase the headache and tiredness striking at him away.

The small kneeling brown haired miranai spoke with worry, his attitude was a bit anxious, "Hifuji kaa-san, are you alright ? You're very pale ... Should I go get Kagetora-dono for some herbal sake ?"

Taiga spared a lazy look at the Fuji Kiseki Okiya's chef dash miranai, Furihata Kouki had always been the motherhen just like Taiga himself, except that the pipsqueak was so damn nervous and unreasonably got frightened all the time it aroused the urge to pick on him, not to mention his reaction was priceless and way more entertaining than common comedy plays on the street.

Furihata looked quickly at the window and turned back to the okiya owner, "It's been raining all day long. Can you at least eat half of the meal ? Or shall I go prepare something lighter ? I'll send a notice to Riko nee-san, it won't take long for her to deliver your herbal sake..."

"I'm alright, Kofuji," Taiga hoarsely replied with exhaustion. Kofuji - little wisteria, only in his okiya was a miranai allowed to have their geimei, "leave the meal on the table, I'll have it later"

Furihata just did exactly what he was told to, but still remained in the room after with a worried expression and fidgeting hands, not knowing what to do.

After a long silence, Taiga sighed at the scene, which made Furihata jerked sharply.

Oh Kami, and here I thought the eyes of the Kumichou from the Akashi Clan was better than this. Taiga chuckled at the thought and shook his head lightly. Who could have thought such a normal, below usual common miranai could fall into the eyes of the most poweful noble family in Kyoto and Tokyo ? This guy was, dared he said, the most successful and luckiest in-training courtesan in the Karyukai - "the flower and willow world" - of a courtesan.

Taiga beamed a warm smile at the brown haired miranai, "Relax, Kofuji. It's okay, I'm fine. A bit tired, yes. But I'm fine"

It was a blatant lie.

It was raining outside and he was rottening inside.

He was not okay at all.

  
Waiting without knowing when it would end savaged you slowly and cruelly parts by parts, pieces by pieces.

He just wanted to be left alone.

  
Furihata bought his excuse after minutes and slid the door close on his way out, leaving Taiga alone like he internally wished for. The red haired oiran leaned at the takamakura again and stretched his legs, his hand moved up to touch the dangling wisteria shidare-kanzashi and daikin on his head. All the courtesans in Fuji Kiseki could not understand why their Okaasan kept the takamakura used by hangyoku only even though his rank was much higher; they wondered what was so great about the old, dark crimson kosode kimono which was drawn with navy blue water lily he always wore; what's more, almost everybody in Fuji Kiseki knew their Okaasan had a set of kanzashi and a kasa with similar water lily pattern. Their Okaasan's ideal relaxing time was collecting stuffs with water lily pattern. It was one of the uncovered mysteries in the Fuji Kiseki, because none of ideas could be mentioned to solve the relatioship between his wisteria geimei Hifuji and the water lily accessories. Courtesans' geimei were supposed to be relevant to the owner's features or their liking, it should have been something like Misuiren, Mamesuiren, Akasuiren, Shirosuiren or Umesuiren to address the Fuji Kiseki Okiya's owner. Heck, even the name of the okiya should have been Suiren Kiseki Okiya. When Taiga was asked about his favorite flower, it was water lily; therefore, it was understandable that he refused to use any kinds of accessories besides water lily ones. But for some unknown reasons, Taiga still keep his geimei as Hifuji - fire wisteria

The weather shocked his memories to recall the dark moments of his life in the hopeless abyss of hell, Taiga could feel his skin and flesh creeping and his spine was frostly chilled; the untouched food under his eyes turned into something slimy and dirty when his head spun a little dizzy, making him unable to prevent the urge to vomit right then and there. Unconsciously, Taiga recoiled his position, pulling his kimono neck to cover parts of his bare skin, wrapping scattered blankets around himself to escape the hallucinating fear of being vulnerably naked; his whole body shivered, the same for his fingers as they tremblingly searched for the anklet on his left foot and played with it to steady his panting.

The gold chain anklet with a jade water lily medallion that had been exclusively made only for him.

_"Burning blood sapphire, bright orbs of the sun, eyes of a tiger ... Water Lily of Fire ..."_

He had said something poetic like that first when their visual gaze collided

_"You are caged ..."_

_"Stop crying, it's annoying ..."_

_"Are you deaf ? Mute ? Why aren't you answering me ?"_

Now that he was remembering, the man was an idiot to be honest. No common social manners.

_"Rumors say the second generation of wisteria is more of a miracle than the first one, is that really you ?"_

Absolutely no sense of sophistication or subtlety

_"More like a broken wisteria doll..."_

Whoops ! Nearly passed the point that the man was an honest asshole

So fucking damn rudely honest

_"... Shall I kill them for you ?"_

Damn pleasureably honest and fucking bold

_"You can't do that ... Nobody can ... Don't lie to me, I really hate dishonesty", Taiga grounded out with tears, body shivering with anger_

_The man's voice sounded stone-hard and icy cold "Who had been stuffing your head with such ridiculous thoughts ?", he quirked his eyebrows, clearly irritated, "The only one who can kill me is me"_

Kami-sama, the damn retarded, infamous self-quote

But it probably was true in some ways, because during a midnight three days later, Taiga unexpectedly received the announcement that the Shinoya Clan was blood-bathed without a single survivor at their main house. Of course, the Kumichou and Oneesama of the Shinoya with their servants resting at the Okiya could not run away from their planned fate, including another three Kumichou from different clans that supported the Shinoya.

There were groups of magistrate checking the crime scenes and tidying up the corpses, those were very blurry in his mind since bliss and relief had taken over his body that very moment of truth.

One sentence to shake him awake from the nightmares he wept and prayed his help to the dark sky.

No more running, he was free. Free in the middle of chaos. But he could not care less about his surrounding.

The second eldest geisha was temporarily put in the Okaasan position, she told Taiga that he could be back as a Jikata Oiran if he desired; plus, he was able to refuse any customers he did not want.

He was allowed to even smiled a bit at the situation.

Taiga suddenly missed the navy color of night.

And a letter came at the following night, it was set next to a strange water lily vase on his table, that man really needed an emergency basic alphabet class for his writing was beyond horrid. Taiga sometimes just giggled whenever he took the envelopes out to clean his drawers.

_Yo, damn doll_

_You have to admit that I was right about the only one who can kill me is me. I was damn right, just so you know_

Kami-sama, Taiga was speechless

_If you're not one bit stupid, you won't rattle on me. I fucking just saved your goddamn life right then. Kami knows I deserve your full worship and adoration from fucking now on_

Taiga suddenly thought he should keep his thanks and gratitude towards this savior bastard to himself

Great, a damn rude, arrogant narcissist who probably had been professionally smooth in tooting his own horn for Kami knew how long

_... I don't know much about you except from rumors, but why do I get a feeling that you're cussing me right now ?_

And Taiga broke into tears during his mad laughter. Ah, the guy was interesting !

_Oh forget it, but I hope that you're feeling better, doll. After all, you are not deserved to be treated badly. A shamisen player should play shamisen, not doing entertainment for adults under the sheets. Right, doll ?_

Taiga could feel his eyes stung with tears

_Also, learn something to protect yourself at least, you're gonna die soon if keeping the present pace. Go to Aida Pharmacy, look for Gin Urufu - silver wolf. Or you can go to Harasawa Dojo, look for Shiro Urufu - white wolf. When you visit, just say the word "Hyoga", and you'll have lessons to catch up._

_I don't know if you want to talk at the moment but if you feel uncomfortable, we can communicate through letters, no pressure. Put the letter on the table under the vase I bought for you, I'll read it and reply the next night._

_Good luck, doll_

On the envelope and at the right corner of every letter, there was a Kamon - a Clan symbol, of claws and water lily. Then he found a tiny note on another small piece of paper,

_Oh, and in return, play the shamisen every midnight for me, will you, doll ? Free, alright ? My commission fee is very expensive so you gotta do without kaban to pay back your debt for quite a long time_

_An idiot, an assassin, and a romantic one to boost. Every letters the man wrote came with a water lily, white, red or purple, it revolved around those three colors; Taiga once asked why the water lily but not something like hydrangea or wisteria, those two were popular with courtesans as gifts. Plus, Taiga was known under the name Fujini_

_"Because I like them, and I see you in water lily, not wisteria", he replied nonchalantly_

_Taiga furrowed his brows, looked astonishingly at his new shamisen the man bought for him, it also had water lily decorating pattern, he let out a bitter chuckle, "Water lily means purity, grace, enlightment and love ... I've failed to be those long time ago. Are you just messing around with me ?". Taiga played another note with his shamisen._

_For a long silence, Taiga heard the husky, warm but full of affirmation voice after, "No, you still deserve the water lilies"_

_It happened every midnight, the secret guest came to listen to his shamisen, and the exchanging letters still happened despite Taiga eventually felt safe to let out his voice for communication in the end. It was some sort of consolation for both of them. The man could lower his guard after being so tense and stressful all day long, allowed his mind to be warmly caressed with the shamisen sound; as for Taiga, to feel some companionship to soothe his past scars while being all alone in the dark._

Until one night, the man had to leave for a deep undercover mission, and never came back for twelve, now thirteen years.

Taiga closed his eyes to hold back on the tears, he hated feeling helpless and emotionally weak. His hand grasped the blanket tighter.

"Kagami-kun"

"Whoa !!! Holy shit !!!"

Taiga jerked surprisingly and held himself together as his heart thumped drastically, then turned to the voice that just spoken, he knew exactly who the fucker was.

"Kuroko ! You little shit !", Taiga snapped

The cerulean Natori geisha dressed in the same color furisode kimono remained his blank face yet discreetly smirked, clearly enjoying the scene, "I've knocked. You're the one who's been daydreaming and all"

Taiga grumbled a curse, something about a manipulative, deceiving, two-faced bunny. The damn dancing courtesan was the first friend he made after the shutdown of Riki Kisetsu Okiya. Apparently, Aida Riko - the pharmacist's daughter, turned out to be the heiress of her late aunt in the will to take over the latter's Okiya; because being an acquaintance with an oiran like Taiga who was being trained by her father, Riko immediately took her advantages and pushed all the responsibility of running an Okiya on Taiga's shoulder, in order to pursue her medical trading and wine selling family business. Even Aida senior, Kagetora, was pleased to hear his daughter had given up the Yoshiwara business.

As a result, Taiga found himself operating his own Okiya for the first time.

Kuroko poured himself a cup of tea and had a light slip, letting out a small awe of gratefulness, "You should not call me by my real name, you've given me a new geimei, remember Hifuji kaa-san ?"

Taiga twisted his face annoyingly, heavily exhaled, "Aofuji"

The cerulean male nodded satisfyingly, just to earn a cuff in his head. Taiga half scolded half threatened, "You bastard, stop distracting me with your poor-assed excuses. What do you fucking want ? It'd better be something important for sneaking up on me like this !!!"

Kuroko rubbed his sore spot and calmly spoke like he had not been hit, "An urgent requested commission for Suiren-sama"

Now that caught Taiga's attention. It had been a while to hear his secret vigilante moniker in the Aida outlawed organization

"From whom ?"

Kuroko answered with worry in his voice, "From Momoi-san"

Taiga could feel his eyeballs were about to pop out in horror. The crimson haired Okaasan immediately got up, adjusting his clothes and elegantly walked out of his personal chamber. He made firm, determined strides, heading towards the kitchen. Servants and courtesans bowed to him on the way, making their formal greetings

"Young Mistress Satsuki ? Are you sure ?" Taiga spoke under his breath to reconfirm.

Kuroko followed him behind without fail, "Quite certain, actually. Another bandit group of stalker this time, she was nearly abused the other day if Alex-sama wasn't there in coincidence. Momoi-sama and Her Lady had been worried to sick. They received a blackmail letter yesterday, five hundred thousand kaban or the group is taking Momoi-san this time for sure. Those bandits seem to be supported by some nobles to be that foolishly courageous"

Taiga rounded his fists, his jaw were tightened hard and tensely. He despised rapists. Dirty pigs.

"That's for damn sure ... Aofuji, you will write a short prior notice to Lord Momoi that we will send some people for their own protection first. Get me Kumafuji, Kinfuji, Hachifuji and Washifuji. And somebody please drag that motherfucking Ginfuji to me right this instance !" Taiga strictly gritted his teeth, groaning at the last name mentioned

"I'm not so sure about Haizaki-kun but ... alright", Kuroko silently vanished right after

Taiga hurriedly arrived at the kitchen and met Furihata's frightening eyes, the oiran whispered with a serious tone, "Kouki, open the lair, Kiyoshi-san and Sun will come in minutes, so do Mitobe and Izuki, and damn Haizaki is sured to join in this time or I'll slice him into pieces. Tell Alex with Hyuuga-san to go to the Momoi main house to guard Lord and Lady Momoi"

The boy nodded then clumsily ran for his life, carrying out a mission; on his way, Kouki almost knocked down the whole lines of tray of food, which scared the shit out of Taiga.

It was going to be a hellish afternoon.

 

<>

 

Somewhere in the Momoi main house

"Are you sure about this, Satsuki ?", a calm voice questioned

"Sei-kun, it's fine. Plus, I've requested some help from Tetsu-kun", the pink haired girl chirped, looked nothing like she had had a terrifying time the previous days

The heir of the Akashi Clan quirked his brow amusingly, "You're asking Silver Wolf for help but not White Wolf this time? I thought you know White Wolf is closed with your childhood friend ?"

Momoi just hummed meaningfully, sipping her tea slowly, she clicked her tongue, "Well, let's just say I just discovered something that might give us Miracle Clans the greatest stage play of all time. Fufufu ...", the girl giggled.

Akashi Seijuuro just smiled at this, clearly was intrigued in what the only female in their group of friends was plotting. He could not help but wondered, "Does this involve in how you insisted me to write a half-fake emergency letter and send to Daiki ? You know well that my people can get rid of those thugs for you in a blink of an eye. Why dragging Daiki all the way from Kyoto to here ?"

Momoi smirked, "Patient, Sei-kun, it's been a while for that stupid Dai-chan to be so worked up that I can eat a mountain of ginger sugar tofu bowls. Also, this discovered stage play of mine are much related to him, even saying that he's one of the main actor isn't exaggerated at all"

The shorter male snorted with grace, "So you mean that Daiki-not-being-himself-for-years mystery is going to ve revealed in this plot of yours ?"

Momoi snickered and rocked her body back and forth, "Let's just say that since Tetsu-kun is in this with me, you guys won't be disappointed one little bit"

Meanwhile, a blue head napping on a tree in the garden had a big sneeze. "Damn it ! Who the hell is badmouthing about me ?"


End file.
